VIDEO: Charles Clark Interview
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman senior guard Charles Clark (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) has added to an impressive list of preseason accolades with a preseason All-SAC first team honor, the league office announced late Tuesday afternoon.
Clark adds the preseason All-SAC accolade to preseason All-America honors from Street and Smith, Division II Bulletin and Basketball Times.
As a junior, Clark was named to both Basketball Times' and Division II Bulletin's All-America teams. He was named the South Atlantic Conference's Player of the Year for his efforts.
Last year, he averaged 21.9 points per game and scored 658 points. It's the seventh best scoring season in the history of the South Atlantic Conference and the best individual scoring effort for an Eagle since Carson-Newman moved to Division II.
He was the league's scoring champ for 2016-17. Clark made 170 free throws this season, which registers as the seventh best figure in conference history.
The high water mark for Clark came in the final week of the regular season. The Murfreesboro, Tenn.-native tallied up the highest scoring triple-double in the history of basketball at the time (NCAA or NBA) while resetting both the Carson-Newman and South Atlantic Conference single-game scoring records against Coker on Feb. 25.
Clark poured in 54 points to bypass Ish Sanders (51 points versus Mars Hill in 2011) for the Carson-Newman record and RJ McLure (52 points versus Anderson in 2014) for the South Atlantic Conference mark. He also turned in 11 points and 12 assists for his third triple-double in as many home games. Clark is the seventh player in NCAA history and the first at the Division II level with back-to-back triple-doubles.
The guard was 16-for-27 from the field and 7-for-14 from three-point range. He canned 15 of his 16 free throw attempts on the day – all career highs. Clark also broke Chris Jones' 56-year-old Carson-Newman record for points in a half. Clark had 36 in the second, besting Jones' 33 from a 1961 game against Emory & Henry.
His other two triple doubles came against Brevard and Lenoir-Rhyne. He had 33 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against the Tornados, a touch better than his 24-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist effort against L-R. The junior saw a 52-game streak scoring double-figures come to an end earlier this season.
However, since then, Clark posted 11 straight double-digit scoring efforts. He topped 20 seven times since then and 30 on three occasions. Clark had 17, 20-point games this season and handed out five assists on eight occasions. The Eagles are unbeaten when he does that. Clark ranked in the top 10 in the SAC in every statistical category except offensive rebounds, personal fouls, and blocks.
Clark and the rest of the Eagles open the season Nov. 10 at the Conference Challenge at Anderson. Tipoff Friday is set for 5:30 p.m. with the Lander Bearcats. Pregame coverage begins at 5:15 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Country 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.